Making the salad - First time Thanksgiving

by Bruce Watson, Posted Nov 14th 2008 @ 9:00AM

Salad isn't exactly a traditional Thanksgiving dish. However, my mother always served it at our holiday meal. I think that she was convinced of the moral necessity of having at least one fresh vegetable on the table; either that, or she was worried that we were going to get scurvy and gout from gorging on turkey.

When I started making my own Thanksgiving dinner, I included this Caesar Salad. With the sharp tastes of fresh lemon and raw garlic, it provides a nice, palate-cutting counterpoint to the heavy, mellow flavors of roast poultry and potatoes.

3 large heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
9 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 1/2 Tablespoons light olive oil
4 1/2 Tablespoons water
4 1/2 Tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
12 anchovy fillets, drained and minced
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan (or Peccorino) cheese
2 cups croutons

Put romaine in a large bowl. Pour the remaining ingredients, except for the croutons, into a jar. Put the top on and shake until completely combined. Toss with lettuce. Right before serving, throw in the croutons and toss again.